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Ancestral Faith…Belief in Records!

Candles Burning on an Altar

Were your ancestors religious? Did they belong to a church, mosque, or temple? Yesterday, January 19, was World Religion Day. This is a great time to learn about the religious traditions of your ancestors. Besides giving you a fuller picture of their daily life and values, knowledge of a particular religious tradition, like its history and central tenets, may open up other avenues of research for you!

As the Genealogy Foundation exclaims, “When tracing your family tree, official records like birth certificates and censuses are often the go-to sources. But if you’re only looking at civil records, you’re missing out on a treasure trove of information—church registers and religious affiliations.”

Russian Mosque at SunsetAre you ‘almost persuaded’? If so, take the time to explore religious records for information about your ancestors. These records are often filled with invaluable information that you may not be able to find elsewhere. This is particularly true if you are looking for vital records (i.e., birth, marriage, and death) before they were legally required, which varies in each state. Thankfully, a lot (not ALL) of baptism, marriage, and death books/registers have been scanned and made available online at places like FamilySearch, Ancestry, FindMyPast, and MyHeritage. To get started, check out “6 Steps to Start Genealogy in Religious Records” by David Fryxell.

If you want to learn even more about how to explore these online resources and what to expect with religious records, check out Sunny Jane Morton’s Family Tree Magazine article and her book: How to Find Your Family History in U.S. Church Records (also available in the Genealogy eBook Collection). The library also has a good collection of books about Quaker, Jewish, and Catholic genealogical research. Explore those when you have time.

Jewish Scrolls on a Table

If you are looking for more online articles, the Genealogy Foundation offers ways of “Tracking Down Ancestors Through Church Registers and Religious Affiliations.” Also, Legacy Tree Genealogists offer additional tips for finding and “Using Religious Records in Genealogical Research.” Finally, FamilySearch offers additional links and tips for finding religious records. As you can see, religious records hold a lot of value and promise for genealogy!

Good luck on your search! May this open up new doors for you.


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Categories: Genealogy

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